Sea-wall construction.



G. W. LAMBERT.

SBA WALL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIoATxol num 001.7, 1910.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.y

AG. W. LAMBERT.

` SEA WALL CONSTRUCTION.

` APPLIUATIon H Lnn 0012-7, 1910,

1,002,161. A Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

l.PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. LAMBERT, OF EVIUHMOND, VIRGINIA.

SEA-wann coNsraUc'rroN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it limown that I, Gauner W. LAMBERT, 'a citizen of; the United States, and a resil,dent of Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State .of Virginia, have invented certainy new and useful Improvements 1n Sea-Wall Constructions, of which the following is a fullfand clear specification, reference." being; had to the accompanymg draw'ngs,`in whichi i n 'Ffgure 1 is a side elevation partly 1n section of a portion of a lwall constructed in accordance-with one form of my invention; Fig. 2 a' vertical sectional view thereof on the line-2`,2of'Fiig. 17;,ax1dFigs. 8, 4 and 3 V detail views of one of the interlocking body blocks ofrtbe wall; and Figs. 6 and :views of'a'slightl modified form.

a wall .structure which may -beV used for sea-walls, wharves; dry-docks, coder-dams andother marine purposes where 4either a tomporarynor apermanentwall of a sub-1 stantialvfnaturewand. practically t water proofv construct sad'vantageous, as more fully hereinef. er 'set forthf on'th of my improved i Shaped. wavelet-its 'appa-- 85 n l qphefaceo lreachbloclr isfpro- Li avided groove o exten Y its, ull

`lengthcentra`.llyfl of theblock, lthis ovel having" itsbottominclinng .from botV ends of the bloc ,Wardsthemiddle and havin its side wall converge 'to acentral lowerf edge e, and the two'lower corners are also beveled oil to forminclinedfacesj and g,'the latter ha.v' i a 4.greater.eres than the former.

. Eac YofI -theoundation blocks a' vhas riid-lyattached' to it al central upstandin'g ro hgwhi'ch extends to arpointrabove .the

d'with a' suitable cla-mp ynut e'. The

manne ,oiattachingithis .rod to the inundaltion.bock'isi"nreferahly by threading its endpintoanchor: block j which is ein-l The object of t isk inventionis to -proyide.

ofthe-Welland isvthreaded' and pro.V lvi e bedded in the block in the course of molding so thatthe rod shall have a substantial an rigid connection to the block.` In the upper end of each of the ribs b is formed a' Vhole kin which is inserted the' lower-end .of a guide rod l, which also extends to `a point above 'the top of the wail andV is referably providedwith a clam nut m.

e lower end. of this guiderod screw threads or o 4erwise, butthis gui e rod] is not designed to be attached te the is pref-l erably fastened 'ri idly to the block b' n n Specification o f Letters` Patent. :Patentedv Aug, 29, 1911, Application lled October?, 1910. Serial lo. 585.880.

rod during the moldin of the block, it being preferable to attac this rod during the operation of buildin the wall, as more .fulllykhereinafter set orth.

e layer or row of blocks n Vwhich is laid upon the foundation blocks are laid so layerthe ends of these blocks being' verticallyiigrpo'ved at o to partly surround the rods h and` being provided with a central hole p for the passagej'of the these blocks ,being each threade the guide rods. A blocksn breaks one of the 'end joints betlyveen one of the foundation blocks and its vertical end wall terminates mid-wa .the l gth 'of one of the foundation ocks entrally on the bottom of each of the blocks 'n is formed a depending.. rib qfex'- on one of ten .the full lengthof the block -and so as to tthe adjoini ,ends ofocks that Y shape the. oves c in the foundation b As -gstated each vof these as to' break joints with the foundation ist is. rib is widened from itsmid'de to-4 toward its middle. -l

, The courses or 4layers ii' above the ward its ends andis deepened from each'end in de th and width from its middle toward "its en s, this peculiarly formed rib fitting into similarly'shaped grooves in the npp'er faces overlaps. The en'ds of these blocks 1 are cach verticallygrooved .at t to engage the,

rods l. gEach of the courses r is constructed course n are laid 1n thesame manner as he formed a longitudinal vrib s which increases' of'ithe halves of the lowerfblocks which itl A alikefexcept that the'blocks in each alter-- f upper faces oi' the blocks are desll'obly made l ably, L d nriln'g the fereetion off the wall,I 'insler't and groovobe-ing vsnllieiently -fre'e or loose to nent. slriietnie-it will 'be obvious thatl'he V shown at 'wf 'lhese'guliwiir'dly extending.

at. right angles to the l'ici'ri'ontali faces of the that (he wall Ais rendered sulliciently elastic 'Y `dohe either diiringlhe erection o the wall nate coarse are threaded on the dllferent sets olE rods l1.. and` l, as Shown in Fig. 1.'I

The top 'course of blockbI u 1s `oonsti'ueled similarly to the courses r except l'liat'the flat, vllelweon cs leh'coi-irse iislaid tu packing v* .toilsiliiigoffzi Suitable sheet lnarlerial'slich as liber hoard, paste-board, Wood, wood orl paper pulp, or otheriibi'ous material.l which shallho capable of forming a" sort of cushion lieliifg-(fnflhe blocks'ainl'also' be capable of eipansion when s'oalced in water,4 l preferone oi those sheets under each block. 21S it' is] loa'tiredinto'place and rely upon the weight' and groove' formation, the' fitc of the rib thus permit the interposition ofgthis thin' sheet of packing, .If"itzl e desired to'paclc around lthe rods, the sheets may bulli ciently 'extended' at :their endsl tol .extei 1d to the' upper surface of the block when lient npwaidlyond pressed against'the rods, as`

portions 'wof the peeking sheets ni'ay heat one onboth ends ofthe-rods, :is-may be deshred, but itis not-beliovedth'ut i would be necessary;to-packthe 'central-l ho eS' in` the bloeksfl isfobvious that all. jf the blocks'A may befreinforced inany voll ki'lowliiiiaiiner,'=an'd .alsof that the. rods may he jointed and inaylgejn the form of tubes .or piping.

It will beobserved'thdt rif-wall oon-- strueted ziccordan'e'e with my .invention-- will be practically- -ag monolithic struetin'e; since eachof the blocks is tied iig'i'dly'flo lli'e strnelziire against movement or dislodgnientin all direc'tions, this-being e...-.[`)eeially`eine to the peclrliaifor-mof the 'interlocking' \\'elge$liap .odgrooveoand ribs and il'heing' espeoiall', desirable that .the vertical wallb` or edges4 of lall the ribs und grooves. sliaill be' water they. will ezpend. suflicientlyito -fll in? the .u cievicee-heti'e-i the blocksaial-lwill .'tl11|s. 11 i ke"the wall' sull'ic'iontly watei."tiglit -for all practical purposes, aindwhon `tl1e \vall isgfto be used for*soinelperma.-

{ibi-ons"eipansible packing can. he' replaced; by a siiitableplaslzio or. other kindxof 'packing` or'f cement 'which will endnresubmerging i sea. water.- When the expanaihlo packing or` filling-is used it will he seen to .permitlieavy 'tainping to drive it 'solidly to a fonndatlon,und 'tliS'tompin Qmay be or ufteijftlie top layer eon'se of lilockS is laid in place. Whln'thewull'is.completed the aligrl-i't expan'on that lakes plm-'e 'in the.v packing material tightens up 'all the the w all a nc n'g to guide the .bloko vinto .interlookii g- Vrel-atior'i-and theweiglitfof thefbloekoserf'fliiig 't to'iropenly "shape the packing', sheets. The 1 ml. I

jointe- (lnoiifflumt the wall and thus solidifies 'tends 5toj c'lo' 'all the joints, as4 is obvious.

-liierecting or building 'this wall tle method piwsned will be soinewhat ,voried70 'accordingl to the size of the \val1""ani'tli nalare offlhe work," Ln general, the foundation blocks will be put in place first, one

aller another, and then courses of lupper bliieksinay he lowered 'into "pgitioit 'llie 75 foundation blocks-are lowered iiitolpositio'n bywniea'ns of the rods' la, and .tl'iey'wi'll of` coarse he so mounted-or supported .on'tlle bottom. oi the. :`se'a fox-@other bodyof Water ilniti'hey shall have ,ft-firm 'sol-id foil'nda# 80 lion. The .beveled forijnat'ion willassist in lorcingjtlies'e.b locks to a solid foundation, and they'nifiy be tampe'dordriven int'o.p0si

"Honor a snii'aliletrench-may be excawated in lliefbottoin for their` reception. fllie'fbevr- .85

elcd side edges of vthe blocks have the. f 'nfrtlier 1 fonction of". preventing lateral sl1-ift-ing 0f:. iheabloeks, theendbevel gxbeinglurgerfin 'area than the bevel. f :at the other end ofthe wisely hard 'agariis'tjtlie 'preeedingbloek ln sonic cases xt nmyxbe necessary for? u 'v dir iii-,o assist in'viiosfitionin'g the foundation 95 bloc s". 1 1'1 t thedrawing these .hloekSrare Shown as only part' .einbleddecl'in'the bot-"5.; toni flint ithwill he ;und erstood that Where the-soft laad on the liottoi'nin4a4 verywthick-f layer, the blocks, moy boenibelded, entirely/400 in it', the level o fnthje ii'1ii d. .eo1i1 ig ii; to .aff point on the siiperposedbloekls ;v and in (3i-lionfoundation blocks. .rnontof .a ro-:lfiylrorl 7 coral bottom and in s u'ph-oases the ilounda- 'j-105 tion ljlock's ni'iiy' b jnnel`10r'ed in aznysuitahle. maiiner-suelr as bytlienseof masser,-ofeon'A` eli-ete. 'Of ceursi'e'in tloqeaseswhere the mnd 'silt iS "delpelfl ,than tho-.fon hloek, itfwillb' necessaryto' place thehloek of the second course apon'ithe foundatiol be readily lowered linto plage/','thewrods s tion bloei-i5? after'4 properly posi- I tionedv und zinchoredind-'thereforeonly serve 12J as gaidesin lowering thir'liloeksito place. It will he understood 'of- ,coinfse that suitable Ivessels or barffe "and dor'riolrs and other ineehanisl'l'l' wil be essential to the' properb manipnlutlon 4of theblocks and the rods. 1n

11de-tion" b flcted and be sunkintoplace by the.

weight of one or more:` blocks piled upon them. It will be observed that a wall con structed as described herein may be em ployed flgr'a lgreat variety of marine purt wi .be especially desirable for oses Euilding a co'er-dam or the like around a sunken vessel, since when a wall ofthe ty e described is thus bu'ilt entirely around t e vessel it will have suiiicient strength and' stability to ,permit the water to be pumped out ofl the lnclosure andthus ex se the vessel on all sides so that the ve'sse may be repaired in the same manner as 'when 1t is lin a dry-dock and beiloated again by admitting the water in the inclosure after it is repaired. In such cases the wall will be but a temporary structure and may be readily dismantled and removed after the vessel'ls floated. l

In the ffrm of wall shown4 in Figs. 6 and 7, I em loy two of the anchorin rods h for each o the foundation blocks, leatin one at each' end off; the block; this isa van? tageous in that it leaves themiddle of each foundation block free for handling and thus facilitates the positioning ofV the blocks.

This arrangemnt of two anchoring rods enables the rods l to be done away with as theserods Z ae merely for assisting in `guidvertically. `the ends of the 'blocks ing the superposed blocks position. InV

'35. this form the twoanchonrods, it will be observed, assist more eifectually in tying the blocks to ther'longitudrnally as well as Iethis form of the wall I show all inclined in the same direction so that the superposed blocks niay be loyvered into postionfwlth ess dangler of knocking oi the corners of the blocks.

heee inclined ends also serve' to better hold the packing in place whilefrfbeing' lowered View one 4of the blocks isis wn in the act of being lowered into4 n. These inclinedends'also cause a sort of jamming or ke ing of the blocks together, as is obvious.

Ilaving thus fully escribed nl inven tion, what I claim as new, and' esre to secure byl'ietter's Patent, is f 1. A- wall'structure consisting of a series A .into position, as shown 1115?'. 6, in which of superposed courses of blocks, the blocks .loa itudinall grooved on its up of one course4 breaking joints with the blocks of the `adjacent courses and each block being er surface an provide witha longitudine rib on its under surface, said ribs and grooves being correspondingl shaped and located' so as to interlock, said ribs and grooves having a wedge-shaped or' tapered formation, for the purpose set forth. f L 2. A wall structure consisting-of a series of superposed courses of blocks, the blocks of 'one course breaking joints withI the- 'of one course breaking joi Vrods into the sharpened bottom edges of the blocks .toa 1,30

blocks ofthe adjacent courses and each block bein longitudinall 'grooved on its up er sur ace and provi edl with a lon itu inal ribY on its under surface, said r1 and grooves beingcorresponding'ly shaped and located so as to interlock, said ribs and grooves havin a wedge-shaped or tapered ormation, an a packln material between the adjacent faces of sai blocks.

3. In a wall construction for the' urpose set forth, a course ofl foundation bloc s each bein Vbeveled along its lower corners inwar ly forming a loiitudinal enterin edge, an u pstanding r carried by eac block, a series ofcourses of blocks laid upon a foundationl of blocks and ,threaded upon said rods, and means for clamping the upper courses of blocks in place.

4. In a-wall construction for the urp'ose set forth, a course of foundationb ocks, a pair of rods attached to-each block and extending' to a point above-the water level, a series of courses of blocks threaded on said rods and resting on said foundation blocks, these blocks being provided with means for interlocking them to ether and each coul-'se` breaking Joints wit its ad'acent courses and, the endwalls of the blocl [bein all incline the same direction,',for.t e'r pur'. pose set"forth`. 1

`5. I n a wall'construction for the purpose set forth, a-'course of foundation blocks, rods connected to said' blocks, and extendin f to' a point above thewater level, a'series o e resting on said foundation blocks, the :blocks courses of bloks threaded 'onsaid rods and being provided with means for interlocking them together, and each of the foundation blocks beveled to a. longitudinal enterin erge' vandfhaving itslower corners bevele o downwardly, one-of these beveled surfaces -hav' 6..A 'wa structure co sisting of a series. of superposed courses of blocks the blocks ts wat the blocks of the adjacent coursesand each block being loiiitudinaly grooved on its..up 4r surface an provid with' a longitudine rib on its under surface said' ribs and grooves being correspondingly shaped and-located so as to interlock, said ribs ande'dgrooves having a wedge-shaped or taper formation, '-said 1 grooves tapering from the middle of the' lock to its ends andsaid ribs taperin `from 4 the ends of the block towarditsmid le., the' sides of the ribs-and grooves bein vertical.

7. The method herein described of building a marine wall in situ' consisting in em- Eloying a series of foundation blocks each aving van 4upstanding rod lon enou hl to reach above thcwater level an each icing `a greater area than the other. t

beveled oi downwardly to form an entering odge, lowerinid blocks by means ofV said y of water an`d forcing 'the s wf foundation in the bottm'of thebody of In testimony whereof I hex-@untofgx-2iixiil wafer, :md 'then after said block's` are thus signature in the. resence of twoiWitpesy S'sz anchored Von tho bottom pos'itioningfthe su-` this 6 day of Octo e'r 1910. perp/osed blocksby successively :threadin GEORGE W. LAMBERT' l 5 th 'sumo 'down sind upstanding. rodia; an vWitnesses: ,l finally looking n1l tl'leblocksi placofupon W. L. RoYALL,

the fou ndnti on' blocks. CLIFF.4 GoDsnY. 

